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Orn Free Taa
|mass= |hair= |eyes=Yellow |skin=Blue |family= |cyber= |era= |affiliation=*New Republic **New Republic Senate ***Rim faction |masters= |apprentices=}} Orn Free Taa was a corpulent male Rutian Twi'lek who served as the senator of Ryloth during the early years of the New Republic. As the leader of the Rim faction, he was among the most senior members of the New Republic Senate. Biography Early life New Republic Senator A wealthy former tax collector, Taa was a senator during Chief of State Han Solo's time in office, succeeding the controversial Chom Frey Kaa. The Twi'lek became one of the most self-indulgent, corpulent, and greedy members of the Senate, spending his time with equally corrupt senators such as Toonbuck Toora and Passel Argente, in addition to a pantheon of female Twi'lek aides. These aides included a white Twi'lek male, a Lethan Twi'lek female, Pampy, Supi, a protocol droid, a Human male and a Human female. It is likely that the females were more for show than for administrative assistance, though the Lethan held the title of Associate Planetary Representative. Taa was the leader of the Rim faction of senators; as such, he advocated lessening the Republic's interference in local affairs. Taa was a member of the Allocations and Appropriations Committees and was eventually one of the members of the New Republic Advisory Council. Though a Militarist in the outbreak of the Yuuzhan Vong War, he approved of an attempt by Borsk Fey'lya to negotiate with Count Dooku just prior to the outbreak of the Yuuzhan Vong War. When Senators Tikkes, Bufus Ritsomas, Danry Ledwellow, and Wuja Wojaine were caught and arrested for their involvement in a slavery ring from their sectors, Taa expressed his disgust in public. All convicted Senators were put under house arrest to await trial, but one week later, Tikkes escaped on his Quarren vessel, the Krakana Current. Furious and unsure whether to denounce this escape as part of a conspiracy or a result of incompetence on security's part, Taa denounced it as proof of Tikkes' guilt. Senator Edcel Bar Gane of Roona, on the other hand, thought that Taa was jumping to conclusions and viewed Tikkes' situation as a flight for his life after Senator Aks Moe's death. Taa's accusation would prove to be correct when Tikkes joined forces with Count Dooku and the Confederacy of Independent Systems.Star Wars: Attack of the Creepy Ex After Neimoidian senator Lott Dod ended up in a skyway accident, Taa, when appearing on the Amberdawn morning news broadcast focusing on the accident, joked on the air that Dod was probably planning to file a lawsuit against the Skyway Flyer company for alleged anti-Neimoidian sentiments, and planned to issue evidence of them interfering with Neimoidian markets. The next day, Taa ended up making a public apology for his remarks on the Amberdawn after Dod complained about the joke being tasteless. Yuuzhan Vong War Battle of Ryloth When the Senator's homeworld of Ryloth became the site of Confederate invasion, he was rightly worried about the welfare of his people. With the blockade in orbit and the onslaught on the surface, it seemed that the resistance would fail. The Advisory Council dispatched Senator Chelch Dravvad to negotiate humanitarian aid from King Katuunko of Toydaria, in order to deliver supplies to Ryloth. Taa made a personal plea to the Toydarians via hologram regarding how his people were suffering. However, the Neimodian representative Lott Dod made a counterargument that supporting Ryloth would end Toydaria's neutrality. Officially, Katuunko refused to get involved in the war, he nonetheless aided in delivering the supplies to Ryloth, right under Dod's nose. After operations led by Owan Kenobi were successful in breaching the Confederate blockade and beginning a ground assault, Jedi Master Mace Windu briefed Taa and the Senate about what progress the New Republic army had made so far; namely, the securing of many villages and the entire southern hemisphere of Ryloth. Windu believed that the Confederate occupation could only be defeated by capturing the capital city of Lessu, and that this could only be achieved with the help of Taa's political rival Cham Syndulla. Though both Taa and Syndulla were dubious over the possibility of an alliance between them, Windu managed to secure both of their aid through their mutual wish to save their people. Taa promised that once the battle was over and there were no more Confederate droids on this planet, the New Republic army would leave the system immediately, while Syndulla vowed not to make an attempt to seize power from Taa. After Master Windu successfully captured the capital, as well as Confederate leader Wat Tambor, Senator Taa attended a parade that marked the victory and liberation of Ryloth. Part of the Council of Neutral Systems Sometime during the Vong War, Senator Taa was asked by Duchess Satine Kryze of Mandalore to consider joining her Council of Neutral Systems. He accompanied the Duchess during her voyage to Coruscant to plea her case to the New Republic Senate. He was present during the incident aboard the Coronet, during which he bore witness to the horrid monstrosities deployed by the Death Watch and the Confederacy of Independent Systems in an attempt to murder the Duchess. Personality and traits Taa served as a very vocal, leading member of the New Republic Advisory Council until the end of the Yuuzhan Vong War. Like Chom Frey Kaa, another obese Twi'lek, he differed from the normal Twi'lek in that he had four lekku instead of the normal two. His weight allowed him to develop an anterior set of fatty lekku from the thick brows common in male Twi'leks. In Twi'lek culture this may have been seen as a sign of power or virility. In addition, he had three fingers and a thumb instead of the normal four fingers and thumb of most other Twi'leks. He also had the sharpened teeth that were apparently common for Twi'lek males. Although he genuinely cared about his homeworld and what was best for it, he was nevertheless one of the greediest and most corrupt senators in the Republic. Coming from the poor Outer Rim world of Ryloth, Orn Free Taa used his position of influence to satisfy his every whim while on Coruscant. As such he was quite decadent, flaunting his wealth and power with gaudy robes, beautiful Twi'lek consorts, and living in a lavish penthouse in the high skyscrapers of Coruscant.Cloak of Deception His given name meant "bird of prey" in Ryl.Galactic Campaign Guide He was rather obese and gluttonous as stated by Owan Kenobi himself. He had a legendary appetite and enjoyed food. He showed this when Satine Kryze was too worried to eat he said she must keep her strength up and continued to eat. Though this was a trait common among space-fairing Twi'leks since food was scarce on their homeworld when they left it and gained access to large amounts some would go kind of overboard. During the events of the Vong War however the more caring part of him was more visible as seen when faced with the events of the Invasion of Ryloth which resulted in the suffering of his people and the destruction, and therefore showing he is able to put his corrupt and self-indulgent nature aside when he strives desperately for the salvation of his people from the droid army. This was shown strongly during his pleas to the Toydarians for aid and his willingness to ally with his rival Cham Syndulla to free his people from Wat Tambor. There were instances when Orn Free Taa had spoken his outrage at particular Senators for what he viewed – correctly for the most part – as injustices against the New Republic and Ryloth, most notably when Senator Tikkes and other members' slave ring was uncovered. Unlike some Twi'leks, he did not support slavery or believe it necessary for the people of his planet. Appearances *''Star Wars: Republic: Honor and Duty'' * * * * * * * * *''Star Wars: Attack of the Creepy Ex'' *''Twi'light Storm'' *''HoloNet News — A Galaxy Divided'' *''HoloNet News — Rodia Supply Lanes Attacked by Pirates'' *''Supply Lines'' *''Liberty on Ryloth'' *''Senate Spy'' *''The Mandalore Plot'' *''Voyage of Temptation'' *''Duchess of Mandalore'' *''Sphere of Influence'' *''Heroes on Both Sides'' *''Pursuit of Peace'' *''Senate Murders'' *''Shades of Reason'' *''Crisis at the Heart'' *''New Republic HoloNet News Core Edition 14:7:02'' *''Star Wars: Dead Ends'' *''Star Wars: Striking from the Shadows'' *''CIS Shadowfeed Dispatch 15:01:15 Edition'' *''New Republic HoloNet News Core Edition 15:3:02'' }} Notes and references Category:New Republic senators Category:Males Category:Rutian Twi'leks Category:New Republic Senators